It's hard to believe after the hysteria of the recent election, but the Constitution grants the President only a few, limited powers.
According to Article II, which details the executive branch, the president is vested with the power to perform these services:
- Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces
- Commission officers of the armed forces
- Grant reprieves and pardons for federal offenses (except impeachment)
- Convene Congress in special sessions
- Receive ambassadors
- "Take care that the laws be faithfully executed"
- Appoint Cabinet officials, White House staff and Supreme Court justices
That's it. The role of the President is simply to preside over the day-to-day operations of the federal government and to execute the laws (and only the laws) that the peoples' representatives pass in Congress.
But presidents from both parties have far exceeded these bounds. Backed up by faulty Supreme Court decisions, presidents today wield enormous power over the daily lives of the American people. Presidents can pass "rules" via their administrative agencies that have the force of law. They can sign executive orders that go around Congress, and they can influence state and local elections across the country.
We need to get back to the original vision outlined in Article II. The federal government will never limit itself, which is why We the People must use another section of the Constitution to save our country: Article V.
Article V allows the states to call a Convention of States to propose constitutional amendments that limit the power of the federal government -- including the White House. These amendments can end executive overreach by putting the president back in his constitutional box, forcing Congress to do its job and make laws, and giving the states a more central role in domestic policy.
We've strayed too far from the Founders' original vision. They understood the danger that an all-powerful executive poses to average citizens, and they gave us a way to protect their vision in Article V.
There's never been a more important time to use it.
Sign the Petition below to join the movement!
